Teams put out injury reports each week to avoid surprises. Wednesday’s caused one.
Tight end Keith Jennings was shocked to find he was listed as doubtful–25 percent chance of playing–for Monday’s game against the Green Bay Packers. The implication was that Jennings may be too hurt to play and might yield his starting job to rookie John Allred. Jennings offered his own injury report.
“You’re talking to a guy who didn’t play last year much. I’m playing,” declared Jennings, who suffered a twisted ankle when tackle Jon Clark fell on him Monday. “I don’t know what the heck (the Bears staff is) saying, but I’m playing. I haven’t played in a year. I’ve got to play, get out on the field. Maybe I need to throw something at them, say, `Hey, I’m playing.’ “
If Jennings cannot play, Allred would become only the second rookie under coach Dave Wannstedt to start an opener. Cornerback Walt Harris became the first when he started against the Dallas Cowboys last year in Soldier Field.
Allred did not start any preseason games, but “he would be fine and we would use (Ryan) Wetnight, too–alternate between those two guys,” Wannstedt said.
Partly because of Jennings’ injury, the Bears re-signed undrafted rookie free agent Tremayne Allen to the roster, along with long snapper Harper Le Bel to replace Rob Davis, who was waived.
Spectator: Linebacker Sean Harris lost his starting job to Ron Cox after straining his knee in the Miami exhibition game. He has been told that the decision on the starter is week to week, but the 1995 No. 3 pick is watching from the sidelines and running scout-team plays for the third straight year, and it hurts.
Adding to the disappointment is that Wannstedt acknowledged after last season that Harris should have played more to prepare him for this year.
“I understand where they’re coming from,” Harris said. “I’m just disappointed in myself that I had to get hurt. It’s nothing that I could have controlled, but it’s disappointing.”
Injury update: Only Jennings and tackle James Williams missed practice Wednesday, but they and nearly every other player on a long list of injured Bears are expected to play Monday in Green Bay. Curtis Conway (collarbone) and Chris Zorich (thumb) are out; cornerback James Burton (shoulder), Harris (knee), Anthony Peterson (hamstring), John Thierry (abdominal) and Williams (ankle) are questionable; and Ricky Proehl (ankle) is probable.
Developing: The Bears signed tackle Kerry Jenkins, wide receiver Eric Smith and defensive tackle Tyrone Williams to their practice squad Wednesday. Jenkins is an undrafted rookie free agent who was waived in the Bears’ final cut Sunday. Smith spent part of last year on the Kansas City practice squad and was released last week in the cuts down to 60 players. Williams was on the St. Louis practice squad in 1996 before being cut last week.
At the corners: Bryan Cox was asked which players, in particular, need to have a big year for the Bears to be successful, and he put the onus on the cornerbacks.
“Walt Harris is going to have to have a big year for us, because teams are going to test us deep since we aren’t giving up the outs and stuff as much as we did last year,” Cox said.
“So both our corners are going to have real great years or real bad years.”
Even hotter: Cox was also asked if last year’s helmet-throwing, flipping-off incident in the Packers’ game at Soldier Field, actions that later cost Cox $87,500 in fines, was the angriest he has ever been on a football field.
He laughed.
“No, not even close,” he said.
“One game in Miami, I tried to fight somebody after the game. I don’t remember who it was. I think it was a player and an official. I was real hot. My family had to put me in a corner and take me home.”
A step ahead? One little-known piece of information, especially with all the discussion about Rick Mirer’s potential at quarterback, is that Erik Kramer has fewer career starts (40) than does Mirer (51).
“I think people probably have overlooked that,” Kramer said. “That’s why I look forward to coming out and getting back to doing things I feel good about doing.
“I think I can get a lot better. And I think I’ve gotten better as time has gone on. . . . We’ll add up the wins and losses at the end of the season.”
